Something to Think About
by mutantpenguins
Summary: When Edward runs into a young Ishbalan girl, he is left with something to think about when he asks her a question: "Why do you believe what you do?". NOT Ed accepting organized religion. Rated K plus for safety because someone gets a little beat up.


Yes, Ember knows that Ed doesn't believe in organized religion. Period. Just Equivalent Exchange. Got it. But this has been bugging her for almost a year. She wondered how he would react when placed in a situation where he was talking to someone who honestly believed, and this was born. So no hating the religious aspect. Please. Ember wears a flame-retardant suit for a reason. It won't work. Reviews, yes please. Flames? Ember'd sooner kiss a pig. If you caught the reference, Ember loves you.

This is meant to be enjoyed, and, as the title suggests, to be something to think about.

So now...

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_Something to Think About_

Edward Elric stalked away from Headquarters with a scowl on his face, even though he wasn't particularly outraged with anything. It was just that having to stand up for himself to Mustang on a consistent basis was irritating.

Walking into a crowded street just to hide in a multitude of people and get lost for a few moments, Edward stopped in his tracks when he noticed a few teenage boys dragging a young girl by an arm into an alley. Whipping around and running over, he noticed that there were bruises on the girl's face and arms. He also noticed her bright red eyes, the mark of an Ishbalan. Edward sighed. Though he was a confirmed agnostic, he really disliked religious persecution, the rebellion many years ago having robbed his best friend of her parents.

Approaching the boys—he hesitated to use the term "young men"—Edward barked, "Hey, don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

The boys, all taller than him (damn them all), took one look at him and smirked, deciding as one to ignore him as the tallest, who appeared to be the leader, punched the poor girl in the face.

As the girl whimpered and curled into a ball, Edward gave them a smirk of his own. It really paid to be underestimated sometimes.

Five seconds later, the boys were cocooned in concrete that was just porous enough that they could breathe and Edward was crouching in front of the girl, who appeared to be no more than ten years old. She was trembling, clearly terrified in the face of such hatred for _what_ she was instead of _who_ she was. She was also staring at him with wide red eyes, her tangled and long brown hair not quite covering her face.

"It's all right now. I won't hurt you," Edward said quietly, a complete contrast to the snarling temperamental teenager he'd been just a few minutes before in Mustang's office. He knew she needed to be coaxed out of her current position, much like the cats Al was forever finding.

The girl seemed to find her voice. "Why…?"

"Why am I helping, or why was it necessary in the first place?"

The girl hesitated before uncurling herself just a little bit and croaking, "Both."

Edward shook his head, a sad and bitter smile on his face. "It was needed because a lot of people still don't like Ishbalans in general. It's not because of anything you did, but some people just don't realize that. I helped because I really don't like those kinds of people. Come on, let's get you home."

The girl shook her own head. "Don't have one. It was burned down last week." A single tear coursed down her battered cheek. Clearly more than just a place to stay had burned, though she didn't seem to want to say it out loud.

Edward hesitated for just a moment before saying, "You can come with me, then. I know of a place around here where a lot of Ishbalans displaced a while ago live now. How does that sound?"

The girl gave him a red-eyed distrustful glare. "And how do I know you won't just do the same thing they did?"

Edward smiled. "Good, you're a smart one. But we've been pretty much alone except for a few concrete cocoons for a while now. I've had plenty of chances to hurt you and I haven't yet. Why would I wait so long?"

Slowly, almost as if she had forgotten how, the young girl stood and walked over to him. "Okay," she whispered.

It occurred to Edward that he didn't even know the girl's name. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked.

She smiled. "Amana," she replied as they began to walk.

A million questions entered Edward's inquisitive mind during their journey. Although he didn't personally share her beliefs, he certainly wanted to know more about them. He wasn't sure where to begin, though, and he certainly didn't want to offend her enough that she would go storming off without direction.

Finally he spoke up. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why do you keep believing what you do?"

Amana grinned sardonically. "Even though we're hated for it, you mean?"

Edward fidgeted. "Well, yes. What makes it worth this?"

Her grin softened into a smile. "You're lost, aren't you? You don't know what to believe."

Edward shook his head. "I know what I believe. I don't really believe in any of the religions out there."

"Well," Amana replied, "I can't tell you why everyone believes in Ishbala. I don't know that. But I know why I do."

"And why is that?" Edward asked as they reached the camp.

Amana did not have an opportunity to reply before they reached the little Ishbalan settlement and Edward was treated to suspicious glares. He said, "My friend here was wandering around without a home. I figured you guys could take her in, at least for a little while."

At this the glares lessened in their intensity as the Ishbalans realized Edward was not there for any potentially harmful purpose. Most of them still recognized him as an alchemist, though, and continued to distrust him.

A single woman stepped forward and took Amana's hand, saying something in a language Edward did not understand. Amana replied in that same language before disappearing with her into a crowd that dispersed into their little ramshackle dwellings.

Edward sighed, his curiosity doomed to go unsatisfied. He turned around and began to walk away, but he was stopped by a wordless shout from behind him.

Turning back, he saw Amana running toward him, a piece of paper in hand. "I don't have long," she said. "That lady wants me to get cleaned up. But I never answered you, so I figured I should. Don't have long, though, so I had to write it down for you." Then she turned and ran back to the little camp.

Frowning, Edward unfolded the ragged little slip of paper. On it, a little girl's handwriting was messy but plain:

_I believe because it's less lonely that way. I feel better knowing that no matter what, someone with great power is listening to me and cares about what happens to me, as well as everyone around me. It's a nice feeling, knowing that no matter what you've done there's someone out there that loves you. That answer your question?_

Edward was a confirmed agnostic and this little slip of paper was not about to change that. But it was certainly something for him to think about on rainy days when he hid away from the world, feeling miserable and alone.

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ZOMG THIS IS EMBER'S TWENTIETH STORY HERE! So there's an extra bit of yummyness. Check Ember's profile for details (after you review, of course).


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